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Talk:Alpha-class Star Wing/@comment-2A02:C7F:1016:9300:4D97:A1A1:16BC:6629-20190125202311/@comment-454133-20190125211625
Admittedly I'm not great with them either, as I've only flown them a couple times; my main problem is I'm impatient and I fall to temptation to flip them around ASAP instead of relying on hit&run. I see other people fly them really well though and I'm learning from what I see. Thankfully Harpoons are gone and their configuration limits them to one disarm token, so they're not the terrors they were near the end of first edition. Now they're pretty decent but not OP. The Alpha-class Star Wing's advantage is in being able to shoot after reloading or SLAMing (thanks to their configurations). It can be terrifying fighting them with a fleet that fears an alpha strike, since you might slow-roll and assume you're safe, only to have them slam into range and unload torpedoes. Then they zoom away, reloading with their extra time out of range (so they don't run out later), and come back for another pass to take yet another ship off the board. These alpha-strike and hit&run tactics are very different from how most ships want to play, and it's tempting to try to turn them around ASAP for another pass (my personal bane), but you sometimes have to be patient so you're not playing to your opponent's strengths. Instead play your strengths against the enemy's weakness. They have good health and agility, and the Rho is a solid middle-initiative for outplaying low-init ships. I typically see Rho or Nu, not the named pilots, and they often have support from a buddy who can offer locks or focuses etc. Often people fly them in groups of 2 or 3, not as a lone alpha. You might use a named pilot for the initiative advantage more than anything else (though Vynder's ability is pretty good if you can afford it). And a proper proton torpedo alpha-strike from 2 or 3 star wings can easily remove a ship from the board on the first round of combat, making the rest of the fight favor you greatly. Each coordinated strike that follows can murder another ship, rapidly dropping the enemy threat level. Their problem is the lack of a k-turn -- they need to SLAM or play a longer hit&run game to get turned around. They are also dependent on their munitions or cannon to land damage, and cannons aren't in a great spot right now for that. But munitions are excellent. Give them Proton Torpedoes as their main weapon, usually leaving their other munition slots empty. Field them with a support ship for the occasional coordinate or free lock during the initial approach and whenever they're nearby in the future (and to act as a damage sponge). Advanced SLAM is also a good idea for acquiring a lock. If you have extra points, also equipping Advanced Proton Torpedoes can be hilarious and also deadly. At that point you don't have a range problem (range 1 is even scarier for the enemy), and Alphas are great at reloading this one-shot torpedo either as they charge the enemy, or as they are in the run phase of hit & run. Maybe try this fleet: Rear Admiral Chiraneau with Squad Leader + Tactical Officer + Minister Tua 2x Rho Squadron Pilot with Proton Torpedoes + Advanced SLAM + Os-1 Arsenal Loadout Give one of the Rho pilots Trick Shot too. Or with a Lambda: Colonel Jendon with Fire-Control System 3x Nu Squadron Pilot with Fire-Control System + Proton Torpedoes + Advanced SLAM + Os-1 Arsenal Loadout Or the nuclear option: Colonel Jendon with Fire-Control System 3x Nu Squadron Pilot with Advanced Proton Torpedoes + Os-1 Arsenal Loadout I hope that helps spark some fun ideas!